Los Angeles - A Growing City The late 19th century brought a massive boom in population growth in Los Angeles. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city saw an increase from 11,183 in 1880 to 102,179 in 1900. The massive boom in population growth was attributed to the promise of riches in the form of gold, as many miners moved out to the area to take a stab at the American dream. Los Angeles' water supplies could barely support the city's inhabitants, so mayor Fred Eaton made the groundbreaking decision to divert water from Owens' County California, a nearby agricultural area, to Los Angeles via aqueduct. Eaton's plan to construct the aqueduct couldn't proceed, however, until the water rights for Owen's County were won. The issues that arose in the late 19th century still carry on today.
Obtaining Water Rights
Mayor Fred Eaton
In order for the aqueduct to be completed, all sorts of political favors had to be done. Owen's Valley was particularly dry, so the only way farmers could farm was through irrigation canals that diverted water from the Owens' River to the farmland of the area. The United States Bureau of Reclamation was in the process of developing an irrigation system that would assist farmers in their agricultural pursuits in the dry valley. The action by the Bureau would have blocked Los Angeles from obtaining the water rights legally, so Eaton and his board decided action had to be taken behind closed doors. Eaton had inside information on Bureau of Reclamation due to the fact that a close friend of his, Joseph Lippincott, worked for the Bureau as the chief engineer. Lippincott provided Eaton and his associates with the information needed to best obtain the water rights of Owen's County.
The true controversy began when Eaton, behind closed doors, posed as a private cattle rancher and bought thousands of acres of land through his own pocket. The city then bought the land from Eaton, and he was able to make a significant amount of profit through the deal. In addition to making a profit, Eaton kept the cattle and some of the land, later claiming it was only fit for cattle grazing. With the initial purchase, many farmers began to sell their land to the city. From 1905 to 1930 many farmers in the area sold their land to the city for a very low price, many of them not being able to farm due to a lack of water available to them. Propaganda carried out in the area claimed the city was experiencing a water crisis, which was partially true, but the estimates of water entering the city were vastly underestimated. The propaganda increased public support in city's move to obtain water rights, and eventually, through lobbying efforts, the Bureau's irrigation project was halted. With no legal or political barricades, construction on the aqueduct began in 1908 and was completed in 1913. The project took over 2,000 workers and stretched almost 225 miles, from Owens' County to a reservoir in Los Angeles. Despite the efforts to provide water to Los Angeles, Owens' Lake dried up by 1924.
Protests and Rebellions
Owens' Lake - Circa Early 1900s
Famers and ranchers in the area began to rebel when the lake dried up, and armed movements were taken against the aqueduct. In 1924, a group of farmers and ranchers placed dynamite on a section of the aqueduct and blew it up, disrupting the service of the waterway for some time. These attacks continued on a small scale for the next three years until the collapse of certain banks in the area. With the economic collapse, the attacks ceased. Famers continued to disagree and protest the aqueduct, and many to this day still protest the cities abuse of their water rights.
Continuing Controversies The California Water Wars continue today, as no permanent solutions for Los Angeles's water supplies have been determined. In the 1970s a second aqueduct was built, which continued to lower both the groundwater levels and water levels in nearby lakes. The water levels in California lakes are the lowest they've ever been, so as a result a judge ruled that Southern California must decrease the amount of water it imports from Northern regions of the state by one third.
The California Water Wars exemplify the theme of Americans continually taking resources because they are available to take, rather than thinking about the consequences of our actions. The Water Wars have yet to be resolved in a sense that there will never be a sustainable source of water available to both farmers and inhabitants of Los Angeles and other residents of Southern California.
Los Angeles - A Growing City
The late 19th century brought a massive boom in population growth in Los Angeles. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city saw an increase from 11,183 in 1880 to 102,179 in 1900. The massive boom in population growth was attributed to the promise of riches in the form of gold, as many miners moved out to the area to take a stab at the American dream. Los Angeles' water supplies could barely support the city's inhabitants, so mayor Fred Eaton made the groundbreaking decision to divert water from Owens' County California, a nearby agricultural area, to Los Angeles via aqueduct. Eaton's plan to construct the aqueduct couldn't proceed, however, until the water rights for Owen's County were won. The issues that arose in the late 19th century still carry on today.
Obtaining Water Rights
In order for the aqueduct to be completed, all sorts of political favors had to be done.
Owen's Valley was particularly dry, so the only way farmers could farm was through irrigation canals that diverted water from the Owens' River to the farmland of the area. The United States Bureau of Reclamation was in the process of developing an irrigation system that would assist farmers in their agricultural pursuits in the dry valley. The action by the Bureau would have blocked Los Angeles from obtaining the water rights legally, so Eaton and his board decided action had to be taken behind closed doors. Eaton had inside information on Bureau of Reclamation due to the fact that a close friend of his, Joseph Lippincott, worked for the Bureau as the chief engineer. Lippincott provided Eaton and his associates with the information needed to best obtain the water rights of Owen's County.
The true controversy began when Eaton, behind closed doors, posed as a private cattle rancher and bought thousands of acres of land through his own pocket. The city then bought the land from Eaton, and he was able to make a significant amount of profit through the deal. In addition to making a profit, Eaton kept the cattle and some of the land, later claiming it was only fit for cattle grazing. With the initial purchase, many farmers began to sell their land to the city. From 1905 to 1930 many farmers in the area sold their land to the city for a very low price, many of them not being able to farm due to a lack of water available to them. Propaganda carried out in the area claimed the city was experiencing a water crisis, which was partially true, but the estimates of water entering the city were vastly underestimated. The propaganda increased public support in city's move to obtain water rights, and eventually, through lobbying efforts, the Bureau's irrigation project was halted. With no legal or political barricades, construction on the aqueduct began in 1908 and was completed in 1913. The project took over 2,000 workers and stretched almost 225 miles, from Owens' County to a reservoir in Los Angeles. Despite the efforts to provide water to Los Angeles, Owens' Lake dried up by 1924.
Protests and Rebellions
Famers and ranchers in the area began to rebel when the lake dried up, and armed movements were taken against the aqueduct. In 1924, a group of farmers and ranchers placed dynamite on a section of the aqueduct and blew it up, disrupting the service of the waterway for some time. These attacks continued on a small scale for the next three years until the collapse of certain banks in the area. With the economic collapse, the attacks ceased. Famers continued to disagree and protest the aqueduct, and many to this day still protest the cities abuse of their water rights.
Continuing Controversies
The California Water Wars continue today, as no permanent solutions for Los Angeles's water supplies have been determined. In the 1970s a second aqueduct was built, which continued to lower both the groundwater levels and water levels in nearby lakes. The water levels in California lakes are the lowest they've ever been, so as a result a judge ruled that Southern California must decrease the amount of water it imports from Northern regions of the state by one third.
The California Water Wars exemplify the theme of Americans continually taking resources because they are available to take, rather than thinking about the consequences of our actions. The Water Wars have yet to be resolved in a sense that there will never be a sustainable source of water available to both farmers and inhabitants of Los Angeles and other residents of Southern California.